Ribbon guard



June 1, 1943. R. G. RATCHFORD ETAL RIBBON GUARD Filed Nov. 8, 1940 Patented June 1, 1943 2,320,394 RIBBON GUARp Raymond G. Ratchford and Albert W. Metzner, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The Standard Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a. corporation of Ohio Application November 8, 1940, Serial No. 364,916

1 Claim.

This invention pertains to typewriters and imprinting machines of the type which employ underlying ink ribbons or transfer strips for production of inscribed records, and more particularly to guard means for preventing inter-' ference of the record material with the ribbon or strip over which the record material is advanced into impression receiving position. f

While the invention is herein illustrated and described in its application to machines for preparing offset printing or transfer sheets, known as hectograph recording or transfer imprinting processes, such showing is for illustrative purposes only and with no intent to unduly limit or restrict the field of application or scope of the invention, and therefore it is to be understood that it is not limited thereto but may be employed with other styles of typewriting and imprinting apparatus.

In preparation of master records or transfer sheets for hectographic reproduction or transfer imprinting operations, in connection with which the present invention is especially useful, a conventional typewriter is employed, along the front of the platen roll of which is disposed a transfer strip over which the record material is advanced. The transfer strip produces on the back of the record sheet a reverse impression of data inscribed on the face of the sheet. By subsequent treatment such reverse inscription is made to transfer repeatedly onto separate sheets, the inscribed matter in direct readable form. l

It has been found that during the advancement of the reverse master impression receiving sheet into impression receiving position, the ad- 5' vance edge of the sheet sometimes engages with the transfer strip or is deected therebeneath and tears or distorts the transfer strip. Likewise, when continuous series connected, zig-zag folded form stationery is employed, the folds of the strip, especially the infolds thereof, are likely to catch 'upon and displace or tear the transferv strip or ribbon. i

The purpose of the present device, which comprises an attachment for a conventional typewriting or recording machine, is to deflect and guide the advancing record material slightly away from and over the edge of the transfer strip and so guard the latter against injury.

It will also be recognized that the present attachment is useful on typewriting machines for ordinary Writing operations wherein carbon transfer or manifolding ribbons advanced transversely of the record material are employed, to facilitate the advancement of the record material past the transfer ribbons without interference.

The present invention is further applicable to autographic registers and the like wherein record strips and transfer sheets are advanced one transversely of the other.

The object of the invention is to provide a guard attachment for writing, imprinting and other record making machines to facilitate relative transverse movement of the record and transfer materials, which is simple in construction and capable of being economically manufactured and which will be efficient in operation and automatic in action, having relatively few parts and unlikely to get out of repair.

A further object of the invention is to provide a guard device of the character described, which is readily and easily applicable to existing writing, imprinting and other record making apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to enable the relative4 transverse feeding movement of record and transfer material without interference one with the other.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ribbon guard and record material defiector having the advantageous structural features and inherent meritorious characteristics herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in View as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing, wherein is shown the preferred but obviously notl necessarily the only forms of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional typewriter, equipped for inscribing 'hectographic reproduction sheets or reverse Writing transfers. to which the present invention is shown applied.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the attachment forming the subject matter hereof removed from record making apparatus, illustrating its relation to the transfer tape and the record material.

Fig. 3 is a detail front elevation of one end of the present attachment. A

Fig. 4 is an end view partly broken away of a typewriter carriage showing the present attachment applied thereto.

Fig. 5 is an end view partly in section of the typewriter carriage with the present attachment thereon.

Fig'. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a further modification.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

In the drawing, l indicates a hectograph typewriter of which 2 is the traveling carriage, 3 the platen roll, and 4 the type bars.

Extending across the front of the platen roll 3, coincident with the writing line, is a continuous tape 6 of transfer material. The tape 6 is supplied from a supply roll, not shown, and is advanced past the writing position to the end of the carriage and thence under a turn guide 1 and over and under guide rollers 8 and 9. A record sheet III of impression receiving material advanced in usual manner about the platen roll into writing position passes over the front of the tape or ribbon 6, and exposed surface of which is pigmented. Incident to the striking of the face of the record sheet I6 by the type carrying bars 4, an impression is produced from the tape or ribbon 6 in reverse upon the back of the record sheet.

The record sheet or strip III, as the case may be, is advanced past the impression receiving position and over the ribbon or tape 6 in unison with the rotation of the platen 3. The advancement of the sheet or strip I0 may be effected by the customary frictional pressure rollers coacting with the under side of the platen roll 3, or by radial feedingv pins I I progressively engageable in marllinal holes in the record material, as is now Well known in this art.

To prevent such accidental interference and :l

resulting mutilation of the transfer tape or the record material, there is mounted at each end of the platen carriage 2 a bracket member I3 between which is stretched a wire, or other strand I4, positioned slightly below and parallel with the lower margin of the transfer tape or ribbon 6, over which the record material is directed before reaching the transfer area of the tape. The Wire or strand I4 is threaded through small holes I5 in dependent portions of the brackets I 3 at each end of the platen carriage, one end thereof is flxedly attached to an anchor stud I6 carried by one of the brackets I3, While the other end is attached to' a revoluble stud I1 journaled on the opposite bracket I3. The stud I1 is provided with a knurled head I8, by which the stud may be rotated to wind the terminal portion of the strand I4 thereon and so maintain tight that portion thereof extending parallel with the transfer strip 6 intermediate the brackets I3. The winding stud I1 is maintained in adjusted condition by a lock collar I9 threaded thereon at the inner side of the bracket.

The wire or strand I 4 extends in parallel spaced relation with the lower margin of the transfer strip, and preferably, but not necessarily, is located slightly offset from the plane of the strip 6. It serves to temporarily deflect the advancing record material outwardly and away from the transfer strip 6 sufficiently to avoid interference with its margin beyond which it returns to contact relation with the face of the strip 6.

In the event that it is desired to employ the present guard in relation with a typewriter or other imprinting machine utilizing carbon or transfer tapes or ribbons for direct written multiple copies, additional guard wires I4 may be provided, one for each manifolded copy and transfer ribbon. In such case, the original or initial copy is advanced over or in front of all of the guard wires, while each duplicate copy sheet or strip is advanced beneath the corresponding guard wire I4 and beneath the transfer or carbon ribbon by which the duplicate direct reading inscription is produced on the duplicate copy sheet.

In the event the application to an autographic register, or other flat bed recording apparatus, the deflector or guard strand is disposed in parallel offset relation away from the edge of the underlying transfer material in the direction from which the record or impression receiving material is advanced. In such relation, it temporarily defiects succeeding portions of the record material away from the plane of the transfer material and out of interference with the marginal edge `thereof, beyond which the material returns into impression receiving contact with the transfer material.

For certain conditions of use it may be desirable to provide a second wire I 4a, above the upper margin of the tape 6 and parallel therewith, which will protect the tape against interference of a fold of the record material therewith in event that the latter is fed reversely when making inserts or corrections.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail constructionand arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involvedor sacrificing any of -its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific asto structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form ofseveral modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

In a writing machine of the type wherein a platen roll is mounted in a reciprocatory carriage and in front of which roll a transfer tape extends v axially thereof for to and fro movement with the carriage and past which a record sheet is advanced in unison with the rotation of the platen roll to receive on the back thereof from said tape a reverse impression of data inscribed on the face of the sheet, a pair of brackets attached one to each end of the reciprocatory carriage, a strand of material anchored at one end to one of said brackets and extending thence beneath the record vsheet in parallel offset relation with the margin of the transfer tape to the supporting bracket at the opposite end of the carriage, and a winding device also carried by the reciprocatory carriage by which the strand may be tensioned, the construction and arrangement being such that interference of the recordmaterial with the edge of the transfer strip is prevented.

RAYMOND G. RATCHF'ORD.

ALBERT W. METZNER. 

